Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-12-22
I'll THOUGHT YoU LIKED MARrHYf"


guardianship completely? Answer yes,
without question"
''Why certainly. Since wei
San right. Now l must really go, for
there's q thousand things TO do. You
will be there?'' and as she answered yes,
he caught her plump little form to his
heart again, and kissed her again for
goodby; and he leaped the fence at q
bound, and in few minutes was at home
about his .'chores, with a light heart, for
he loved Martie truly and well, and he
now saw his way to happiness with the
one girl he loved.
Sunday he went away in the morning,
and was gone all day, and only returned
in time for supper.
After the table was cleared, and Mrs.
Hemphill sat down to rest, with clean
pocket handkerchief folded over her knees,
to save her black silk dress, and her Bible
in her hands, for she always held her
Bible thus every Sunday evening, though
no one could remember ever seeing her
read in it, Jabez arose from his seat and
walked up and down the room in silence.
His mother watched him uneasily
At last he spoke:
Mother, am thinking Of getting mar
ried
Her fear was well placed, and the shock
was great.
Mother, how would you like Lucinda
Rosencrants for a daughterY'
In all her imaginings she had never let
her fancy run riot to an extent that could
have permitted Lucinda Rosencrants to
enter her head as the possible choice of
her son.
Pretty enough, but coarse and ignorant;
daughter of two idle, dissolute parents;
lazy and slovenly herself, and fond of
dancing and party going, and all the very
things that Mrs. Hemphill abhorred, it is
no wonder that she sat pale and shocked
and speechless
OF all the girls that she knew, or had
ever heard of, Lucinda was the last one
that she would have chosen, and she could
not bear it.
"I-I thought you liked Marthy," she
said, TREMENDOUSLY.
II do like Martha; but you said so
much
81 rather you'd picked her OUT
''She refused me-
REFUSED you'll guess you're as good
as she any time. Any gal ought to be
proud to get YOU
''She did not think so, and her refusal
did not hurt me long. What do you
think of Lucinda?''
ooh, Jabez, don't ask. never can
give in to your marrying into that awful
family. Just think of what u set they
are, and Lucinda'll be just the same.
There amt another girl that can hold a
candle to Marthy if it wasn't for them
there children
''She gave them all away yesterday,
heard, TO a guardian"
''Jabcz, don't you think you could
change her resolution? Ye amt bound to
Lucindy, be ye?n
you know, mother, never break my
word
Mrs. Hemphill groaned.
"I'd ruthcr you had a took Marthy
Lucindy," and she began to cry, where
upon Jabez hurried off
The next morning ,Jabez was gone, no
one knew where, and the whole farm
seemed to want him back; though it was
MONDAY, there was no work done, and
Mr. and Mrs. Hemphill sat dejectly in the
chest room.'
Father" said at last, knocking the
ashes out of his pipe:
II knowed Saturday that sumpin was
up, but | never guessed what, and I'm
blamed if l amt sorry for him to go and
take up with that shiftless Lucindy when
he might a. had Marthy, only for your
bein' SO sot agin' them poor little young
sters; and | think Marthy was a-doin' her
duty. I'm blamed sorry"
Mr.. Hemphill, don't swear, and don't
say broke off the match. | never done
nuthin', only Friday / told Marthy my
~. - i II. \ 4
s'pose said something that maddened
Jabez, for the next day he went off, and
l s'pose he asked Lucindy.
"Oh, what on earth shall dos He is
such good boy, and to throw himself
away sor'
'Well, if you told her your mind in the
same way you tell it to me don't blame
Marthy bit for gittin' mad''
At this iuncture Mrs. Hemphill gave
way to tears, until the noise of wheels on
the gravel outside aroused them both, and
they looked out to see Jabez and Martha
both looking very happy in the buggy,
| and Martha was not in mourning and
something glittered on her wedding fin
ger.
Mother father let me introduce to
you Mrs. Martha Hemphill. l hope you
will be pleased to form her acquaint-
ance.n
Pleased amt no word, Jabez," said
his mother, who caught happy little
Martha in her rather long arms, and the
father shook Jabez's hands like pump
handles, while he tried hard to speak
without tears.
After while everything was explained,
and it was a merry Christmas dinner
to which they all sat down the next
day. Mrs. IIemphill ST., said she was
thankful above everything that Martha
had upheld her principle, and she added
soto voce, and saved her from that awful
''fambly.n